2016–17 Azerbaijan Premier League

Azerbaijan Premier League

Season	2016–17
Matches played	52
Goals scored	121 (2.33 per match)
Biggest home win	Qarabağ 6–0 AZAL (9 September 2016)
Biggest away win	Neftçi Baku 0–8 Gabala (10 September 2016)
Highest scoring	Neftçi Baku 0–8 Gabala (10 September 2016)
← 2015–16 2017–18 → All statistics correct as of 29 November 2016.

The 2016–17 Azerbaijan Premier League is the 25th season of Azerbaijan Premier League, the Azerbaijani professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1992. Qarabağ are the defending champions, having won the previous season. The season began on 6 August 2016 and will end in May 2017.

Teams

On 13 June 2016 the Professional Football League of Azerbaijan announced that both Khazar Lankaran, and Ravan, had been refused licenses to play in the 2016–17 Premier League and that no First Division teams would replace them.^[1]

Inter Baku
Neftçi Baku

Sumgayit

Kapaz

Gabala

Qarabağ

Zira

AZAL

Location of teams in the 2016–17 Azerbaijan Premier League.
Team in italics is from a zone of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and is playing its home games in Baku.

Stadia and locations

Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.

Team	Location	Venue	Capacity[2]
AZAL	Baku	AZAL Arena	5,000
Gabala	Qabala	Gabala City Stadium	3,500
Inter Baku	Baku	Inter Arena	8,500
Neftçi Baku	Baku	Bakcell Arena	11,000
Qarabağ	Baku	Azersun Arena	5,800
Sumgayit	Sumqayit	Kapital Bank Arena	1,500
Zira	Baku	Zira Olympic Sport Complex Stadium	1,500
Kapaz	Ganja	Ganja City Stadium	27,000

Personnel and kits

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Team	Manager	Team captain	Kit manufacturer	Shirt sponsor
AZAL	Tarlan Ahmadov	Emin Jafarguliyev	Joma	Silk Way
Gabala	Roman Hryhorchuk	Rashad Sadiqov	Joma	QafqaZ Hotels[3]
Inter Baku	Zaur Svanadze	Nizami Hajiyev	Joma	IBA
Neftçi Baku	Elkhan Abdullayev	Araz Abdullayev	Kappa	Asan Xidmət
Qarabağ	Gurban Gurbanov	Rashad Sadygov	Adidas	Azersun[4]
Sumgayit	Samir Abbasov	Vurğun Hüseynov	Joma	Azerkimya[5]
Zira	Adil Shukurov	Elvin Mammadov	Umbro	Santral
Kapaz	Shahin Diniyev	Tural Akhundov	Umbro	Gəncə 4000

Managerial changes

Team	Outgoing manager	Manner of departure	Date of vacancy	Position in table	Incoming manager	Date of appointment
Neftçi Baku	Vali Gasimov	Sacked	14 September 2016[6]	7th	Elkhan Abdullayev	15 September 2016[7]

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Qarabağ	13	10	1	2	26	6	+20	31	Qualification to Champions League second qualifying round
2	Gabala	13	8	4	1	28	6	+22	28	Qualification to Europa League first qualifying round
3	Inter Baku	13	6	6	1	21	12	+9	24
4	Kapaz	13	3	6	4	9	11	−2	15[lower-alpha 1]
5	Zira	13	4	3	6	11	14	−3	15[lower-alpha 1]
6	Sumgayit	13	3	5	5	12	18	−6	14
7	Neftçi Baku	13	3	0	10	9	29	−20	9
8	AZAL	13	0	5	8	5	25	−20	5	Relegation to Azerbaijan First Division

Updated to match(es) played on 29 November 2016. Source: PFL, UEFA, Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Head-to-head away goals scored (only if two teams); 6) Goal difference; 7) Goals scored.^[8]
Notes:

1. Kapaz ahead of Zira on goal difference, head-to-head record: Kapaz–Zira 2-0, Zira–Kapaz 2–0.

Results

Games 1–14 Home ╲ Away AZL INT NEF QAR GAB SUM ZIR KAP AZAL 1–3 0–2 0–1 0–0 1–1 1–1 0–1 Inter Baku 3–0 2–1 2–1 1–1 3–1 1–1 2–2 Neftçi Baku 2–1 0–2 0–8 1–2 0–1 2–0 Qarabağ 6–0 3–0 2–1 3–0 2–0 1–0 Gabala 3–0 0–0 4–1 2–0 2–0 1–0 2–0 Sumgayit 1–1 1–2 2–0 0–2 2–2 1–1 Zira 3–1 1–1 2–0 0–2 0–2 0–1 2–0 Kapaz 0–0 0–0 2–0 1–1 0–0 2–0 Updated to games played on 29 November 2016. Source: Azerbaijan Premier League (Azerbaijani) 1 ^^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column. Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Games 15–28 Home ╲ Away AZL INT NEF QAR GAB SUM ZIR KAP AZAL Inter Baku Neftçi Baku Qarabağ Gabala Sumgayit Zira Kapaz Source: Azerbaijan Premier League 1 ^^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column. Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Season statistics

Scoring

• First goal of the season: Elvin Badalov for Neftçi Baku against AZAL (6 August 2016)
• Fastest goal of the season: 2nd minute,
  • Reynaldo for Qarabağ against AZAL (9 September 2016)^[9]

Top scorers

As of match played 29 November 2016

Rank	Player	Club	Goals
1	Bagaliy Dabo	Gabala	7
2	Filip Ozobić	Gabala	6
3	Ruslan Abışov	Inter Baku	5
4	Aghabala Ramazanov	Inter Baku	4
	Reynaldo	Qarabağ	4
	Julien Ebah	Kapaz	4
7	Sergei Zenjov	Gabala	3
	Ruslan Qurbanov	Gabala	3
	Rauf Aliyev	Inter Baku	3
	Nizami Hajiyev	Inter Baku	3
	Araz Abdullayev	Neftçi Baku	3
	Rahid Amirguliyev	Qarabağ	3
	Dani Quintana	Qarabağ	3
	Mirabdulla Abbasov	Sumqayıt	3
	Vagif Javadov	Sumqayıt	3
	Dino Ndlovu	Qarabağ	3

Hat-tricks

Player	For	Against	Result	Date	Ref.
Bagaliy Dabo	Gabala	Neftchi Baku	8-0	10 September 2016	[10]

References

1. "Официально: Премьер-лига сократилась до 8 клубов". azerifootball.com (in Russian). Azeri Football. 13 June 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
2. Azərbaycan Peşəkar Liqası (Azerbaijani)
3. "Deal with new sponsor - QafqaZ Hotels and Resorts". gabalafc.az (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 15 August 2015.
4. "Qarabağın sponsoru.". qarabagh.com (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 19 August 2013.
5. "Sumqayıtın sponsoru.". sumqayitpfc.az (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 19 August 2013.
6. "Neftçi PFK-nın rəsmi məlumatı". neftchipfk.com (in Azerbaijani). Neftchi Baku. 14 September 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
7. "Neftçi PFK: yeni təyinatlar haqqında". neftchipfk.com (in Azerbaijani). Neftchi Baku. 15 September 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
8. "Premyer Liqa 2016/2017 - Season rules". Scoresway. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
9. "Qarabağ 6–0 AZAL". soccerway.com/. Soccerway. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
10. "Neftchi Baku 0-8 Gabala". soccerway.com. Soccerway. Retrieved 11 September 2016.

External links

• Official website (Azerbaijani) (English) (Russian)